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Dinner by Heston Blumenthal

Dubai

Decadence, eccentricity and history in Dubai

On the Pass

Chris Malone

Pastry Chef

Jermaine Cunningham

A regal affair: Heston Blumenthal’s foray into the Middle East, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, made its debut in May 2023 on the second floor of Dubai’s Atlantis The Royal hotel. On arrival, diners encounter a panelled room embellished with animal sculptures, before passing through a concealed sliding door into the main dining room and show kitchen.

Historic gastronomy: The menu at Dinner comprises modern versions of dishes from the last 500 years. Meat Fruit (c.1500) – arguably the restaurant’s most iconic dish – is a trompe-l'œil in the form of a mandarin that in fact contains chicken liver parfait. The recipe requires several days of work by three cooks on the cold larder station.

Dinner and a show: Pulling focus in the centre of the dining room is the restaurant’s pineapple rotisserie known as ‘The Dinner Escapement'. Based on a 16th century design used for the British Royal Court, the installation adds another layer of history and storytelling to one of the restaurant's signature dishes, Tipsy Cake. The two-metre-high clock is inspired by the watchmakers of Greenwich in London: the system powers a clockwork spit roast located in the kitchen to cook the pineapples.

At your service: Once chef de cuisine Tom Allen’s dishes arrive at the table, diners are given the option to select from three service cards. The first option allows the food to do the talking, with minimal explanation. The second option prompts servers to go into more detail for those curious about the inspiration behind each dish, while the final option gives staff the opportunity to wow diners with their encyclopaedic knowledge of how each course was created.

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